


Why Don’t You Masquerade Into My Heart?

by Vintage_Champagne



Category: RWBY
Genre: Anonymous Guests, Crow Qrow, Dressed Up, M/M, Masquerade Party, Mysterious Clover, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, RWBY likes helping qrow, Team RWBY - Freeform, he has no clue abt these things, yes i did that right ;)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:53:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29069103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vintage_Champagne/pseuds/Vintage_Champagne
Summary: A friendly visit from the nieces
Relationships: Marrow Amin/Jaune Arc, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Comments: 30
Kudos: 30





	1. What Masquerade Party?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Victorious56](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Victorious56/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A friendly visit from the nieces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is mostly exposition and filler for the exciting stuff ;)

“This is so dumb,” Qrow huffed.

“Aww, come on, Uncle Qrow!” Ruby said. “It’ll be fun!”

“Dressing up in a hot, uncomfortable costume for hours in a crowded room is not my idea of fun,” Qrow said.

“Oh come on, don’t be such a downer!” Yang said cheerfully, slinging her arm around his shoulders. “You deserve a break from working.”

“We’ve barely seen you!” Ruby chimed in.

“And besides, this is a party for everyone!” Yang exclaimed. Then she lowered her voice, adding, “And besides, I heard the Ace Ops are going to be there!”

“So?” Qrow asked.

Yang grinned. “It means Clover’s going to be there!” She winked at him.

Qrow sighed exaggeratedly, though it was fondness, not irritation. “Ya know, I should be the ones giving you advice about your love lives, not the other way around,” he said, smiling wryly while casually deflecting the topic. 

“We don’t mind, Uncle Qrow!” Ruby said, beaming. Qrow grinned and ruffled her short black and red hair.

“Your hair’s getting long,” he noted. It had definitely grown out since she had cut it, along with everyone else. (Except Weiss. She’d kept hers long but changed the style.)

“Hey! Don’t deflect the important topic at hand!” Yang exclaimed suddenly. “What are you going to be for the masquerade party?”

“Ah, I’ll think of something,” Qrow said vaguely, waving his hand in the air. Both of his nieces gave him matching unimpressed looks.

“Uncle, we both know that you’re not going to ‘think of something’,” Yang said, using air quotes.  
  
“We can plan your costume!” Ruby chirped excitedly.

“Uh . . .” Qrow started, but Yang cheered as well, pumping a fist.

“Let’s do it! We can come up with some awesome costumes for you, right Ruby?” Yang said, grinning.

“Most definitely!” Ruby agreed. “Right, Uncle Qrow?”

“Erm . . .” Qrow really didn’t want Ruby and Yang to plan his costume, especially if other huntsmen were going to be there. Knowing his nieces, they’d probably give him something embarrassing the day of, leaving Qrow with no way to back out.

But the war had taken its toll on the kids, forcing them to grow up--and they’d each handled it with grace and maturity. They didn’t get the time Qrow had with Summer, Taiyang, and Raven. Beacon had practically been destroyed, for Brother’s sake! And these happy moments were getting far too few and far between.

“Sure,” Qrow said instead, earning excited sounds of happiness from the sisters. “Go for it.”

“Don’t worry Uncle, you’ll be the most fashionable guest there!” Yang said excitedly before running out, Ruby close behind.

“Oh, I’m worried,” Qrow replied to the empty room, chuckling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promise i’m working on part 2 of Coffee Shop Guy!
> 
> (i didn’t expect such a positive reaction so i started this 😅)


	2. So I Do It Solo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> qrow gets unexpected news

Qrow snickered, laughing at some dumb joke Clover made. The two were out on patrol again (Qrow had a sneaking suspicion that Clover kept pairing the two of them together on purpose).

“Wow, that’s probably more laughing I’ve seen you do since . . . ever,” Clover joked.

“Oh don’t worry, you’ll be doing a lot more laughing at the masquerade party,” Qrow snorted. “I simply can’t wait to see my costume,” he drawled sarcastically.

When Clover didn’t reply, Qrow quirked a brow at him. “Hello? Lucky Charm? That was a joke, you know. You’re supposed to laugh,” he reminded the huntsman, poking his rib.

Clover teasingly batted away his hand, but Qrow detected a hint of guilt in his eyes. “About that . . .” he started.

“Are you okay? Did something happen?” Qrow asked, concerned. All sorts of horrifying things flashed through his mind: Clover getting transferred, Clover leaving Atlas, Clover moving away, Clover, Clover, Clover. Qrow was surprised by how much the thoughts hurt.

“No no, nothing bad,” Clover reassured quickly. Qrow let out a breath of relief. “It’s just that . . . well, I won’t be able to attend the party,” he explained, looking very guilty.

“Oh?” Qrow frowned. “Do you not want to go? I could stay back with you,” he offered.

“No, it’s not that kind of staying in,” Clover said gently. “Just work for the general, you know?”

“Ah, right,” Qrow said, forcing a quick laugh.

Clover was eyeing him worriedly. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay there? I mean, I know you didn’t really want to go in the first place, and I’m the one who told you about it, and I said I would go with you.”

“I’ll be fine,” Qrow said, grinning at him. When Clover didn’t look convinced, Qrow added, “Seriously, Lucky Charm, don’t worry about it.”

“Are you sure?” Clover asked, searching his face for any hesitation. Good thing Qrow was reasonably good at keeping a poker face.  
  
“I’ll be fine,” Qrow said again. “Relax, Clover. It’s just a party. And I can still leave if I really need to.”

“Alright . . . if you say so,” Clover said, still sounding slightly unconvinced.

The pair walked in silence a little longer, both unsure of how to break the tension between them. Clover was the first to say, “You mentioned a costume?”

“Ah? Oh, yeah,” Qrow said, nearly tripping over his words in relief from the awkward silence. “Ruby and Yang are designing one for me.”

“Really? Do let me know how that turns out,” Clover said, cracking a smile.

“Brothers, it’s probably going to be something embarrassing,” Qrow groaned. “They’ll be lucky if I even show up with it!”

“I’m sure you’ll look good in it,” Clover mused. “After all, you look good in everything.”

Qrow blushed, not really knowing how to respond to that. “Thanks, I guess?”

Clover winked at him. “Of course, Feathers!”

All of a sudden, team RWBY came running up, all four of them. Well, Ruby and Yang were running. Weiss and Blake were more . . . sedately walking.

“Uncle Qrow,” Ruby gasped, hunching over her knees, “we have costumes for you!”

“Yeah, Uncle! Come on, let’s try them on!” Yang agreed, seemingly no worse for wear.

“Uh, what’s wrong with Ruby?” Qrow asked, pointing at her with his thumb as the huntress flopped onto the floor.

“She tried to race me!” Yang explained cheerfully. “No semblances, of course!”

“What a mistake that was,” Weiss said, rolling her eyes. Despite herself, Qrow saw her stealing a concerned glance at her teammate. Blake calmly walked around Ruby, coming to stand next to Yang.

“We all chose a few costumes each,” she said, looking more excited than Qrow had ever seen her. Then he processed what she said.

“Wait wait wait, what do you mean, ‘a few costumes each’?” he asked. “Just how many did you get?” Qrow asked suspiciously.

“Uh . . .” Yang started counting on her fingers before running out of said fingers and shrugging helplessly. “Somewhere around sixty?”

“Sixty?!” Qrow nearly shrieked.

“More like seventy,” Weiss said. Qrow heard Clover trying to stifle a snicker, turning it into a cough.

“Oh! Hi Clover!” Ruby said, bouncing back to her feet. “Do you need a costume too? We have extras!”

“No, I’m actually not attending,” Clover explained, half smiling. “But I’m sure that Qrow would love to wear anything you picked for him,” he added, grinning mischievously at him.

Qrow glared at him. “We’ll see about that.”

“Come on, Uncle Qrow! Let’s go!” Ruby exclaimed, tugging on his cape.

“Yes, we do have a lot of costumes to get through. I’m thinking we pit two against two, and make our way up using the bracket system? Once we narrow it down, one for each of us, Qrow can pick his favorite.” Weiss said thoughtfully. “Or we could rate them, and the highest ranking costumes from each of us could be the offerings.”

“Uh . . . that sounds like a lot,” Qrow said carefully. “You guys can’t just pick four and then I pick? Do we have to do all of them?”

“Qrow, don’t be such a downer!” Clover said teasingly. “How are they going to pick their favorite without seeing it on you?”

“I’m going to kill you,” Qrow said, deadpan.

“Nah, you’d miss me too much,” Clover decided. “I’ll leave you to it.” Then he whispered something to Yang, to which she saluted and responded with a cheery “Will do!” Qrow did not like the look on their faces.

As Clover walked away, Qrow allowed himself to be dragged by his nieces into their dorm room, which was littered with bags and random outfits.

“That doesn’t seem too bad,” Qrow said, hands on his hips. The four girls exchanged looks before the four of them pulled open the doors to two closets and . . . oh.

“That . . . that’s a lot of costumes,” Qrow managed, pretty much speechless at the sheer amount of clothing stuffed into those two closets.

“Yup!” Ruby agreed.

“We’d better get started,” Weiss said authoritatively. “I suggest writing all the outfits down we’ve already tried, along with who bought it and whether Qrow would be okay with wearing it,” she said, glancing at him. Though she maintained an official, cool aura, Qrow could feel her excitement.

“I can write,” Blake offered, pulling out sheets of paper and a pen. The Fauna perched on a bed, sitting cross-legged, and clicked the cap. “Which first?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what do you think clover said to yang??


	3. Costumes, Costumes, Costumes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> time for try-ons!!

“Me! Me! I have the perfect costume!” Ruby exclaimed, leaping up and rushing to a closet. She frantically dug through the fabric stuffed within, letting out a triumphant cry when she found it. “Ta-dah! What do you think?”

If Qrow had been drinking something, he most assuredly would have choked and died. His soul would have fluttered away from his lifeless body. Because in front of him, Ruby was holding a Playboy Bunny-style costume, complete with ears, cuffs, and a tail.

“You’ve got to be kidding.” Qrow put his head in his hands. “I knew this would be a bad idea.”

“Well . . . it’s not that bad, objectively speaking,” Weiss said, clearing her throat and pointedly looking away.

“Are you kidding?!” Qrow and Yang said at the same time.

“It’s awesome!” Yang exclaimed as Qrow said, “It’s totally inappropriate!”

“Uncle, have you seen some of the huntsmen outfits we’ve seen while traveling through Remnant?” Yang asked at Qrow’s glare. “I mean, some of them-”

“I don’t even wanna hear it,” Qrow sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and cutting Yang off. “Is this what the rest of the outfits look like?”

“Not mine,” Weiss sniffed.

“Mine are more concealed,” Blake remarked wryly. “I’m guessing this is a no, then?”

“Don’t cross it out!” Yang and Ruby cried instantly.

“Oh, come on!” Weiss said. “It’s not like Qrow is actually going to wear it in front of other huntsmen, not to mention the General of Atlas!” She stole a look at him. “You aren’t going to, right?”

Qrow sighed. “No, probably not.”

“There’s still a chance!” Yang exclaimed, high-fiving Ruby.

“Where did you even get this outfit?” Qrow said, gingerly holding the bodysuit between pinched fingers. “Never mind. I don’t think I want to know.”  
  
“Will you at least try it on?” Yang asked, flashing him puppy eyes.

“Absolutely NOT!” Qrow squawked. “This is way too risque, even for me! No, that sounds like I wear risque things. This is so risque, risque doesn’t even cover half of it!”

“Well, it’ll cover half of you,” Ruby chimed in.

“Ruby, don’t even start.”

“Okay, let’s move on then,” Weiss said decisively. “Here, try one of mine!” She walked to a closet and pulled out a garment bag, unzipping the white casing to display a pirate-y costume.

“Pirate? Oh come on, that’s so cliche!” Yang said, ripping open a bag of popcorn.

“For your information, it is a _timeless classic_ ,” Weiss sniped, protectively holding the bag closer to her.

“Alright, hand it over,” Qrow said, gesturing to the outfit. Weiss beamed and handed him the garment bag, smiling smugly at Yang.

Qrow took it into the bathroom and changed out of his usual clothes. Surprisingly, the costume didn’t feel too uncomfortable, and Qrow could imagine wearing it for a few hours. But it didn’t look right, he thought, staring at himself in the mirror. The shirt hung too loose, the vest didn’t match, the pants were a weird length, and what even _was_ that hat?!

“Uncle Qrow! What’s taking so long?”

“Uh, coming,” Qrow called back. “Just a warning though, this one ain’t pretty.” He stepped out of the bathroom to the critical eyes of the team.

“Meh,” Yang said. “It’s okay, I guess.”

“No,” Weiss said. “It doesn’t look good.”

“What’s our rating?” Blake asked, scribbling something down on her paper.

“Seven,” Ruby said, holding up seven fingers.

“Six,” Yang said, throwing a piece of popcorn into her mouth.

“Three,” Weiss said flatly.

“Okay,” Blake said, writing something else. “So we’ll keep this one on the ‘maybe’ list.”

“Ooh, my turn!” Yang said excitedly, hopping off the bed. She thrust something into Qrow’s hands before ushering him into the bathroom.

Once inside, Qrow slipped off the pirate costume and held up a--he sighed. “Really, Yang?” He walked out of the bathroom in Yang’s huntress outfit, complete with the gauntlets.

“Lookin’ good!” Yang grinned, flashing him two thumbs-up.

“Aww, no fair! I could’ve gotten Uncle Qrow to wear mine,” Ruby pouted.

“This is a definite no,” Qrow said, raising an eyebrow. “I’m not going dressed as my niece! Everyone’s going to think I’m some sort of weirdo!”

“Uncle, everyone thinks you’re a weirdo,” Yang said.

“Here, try one of mine,” Blake said, passing him a neatly folded pile of black clothing.

Qrow took it back to the bathroom, slipping into the slim suit: black jacket on black dress shirt on black tie. Qrow had no idea as to what the costume was until he spotted the black realistic cat ears.

“Meow,” Qrow said, dramatically stepping out of the bathroom. Yang burst into laughter, Ruby snickered, Blake giggled, and even Weiss cracked a smile.

“What do you think?” Qrow said, turning. “This one actually fits the best out of the first four.”

“Agreed,” Weiss said, nodding. “Seven.”

“Eight!” Ruby exclaimed.

“I’d say a nine,” Blake said, grinning wryly.

“Wait, what about this one?”

“That one’s okay, but I liked this one better . . .”

And so they continued. Qrow tried on outfits from animals to eras, food to fashion, even book characters! But somehow, something just wasn’t clicking. The costumes were fine, great even, but there was something missing . . .

“Alright, how far have we gotten?” Yang asked, turning to Blake.

She flipped through some paper. “We’ve tried 36 outfits so far, the highest rated ones the black cat, the devil, and the Grim Reaper.”

“That’s a lot,” Qrow said, breathless. “We’re nearly done then, right?”

“Nope, we’re not even halfway through!” Ruby told him cheerfully.

Qrow groaned and flopped onto the floor. “God, I’m so tired.”

“But this is fun, right?” Yang said, peering over him.

Qrow smiled against his will. “You betcha.”

“I’m hungry,” Weiss announced. “Let’s go have lunch, and we can come back to this with some new energy.”

“Good idea,” Qrow agreed, stretching.

“Where should we go?” Blake asked, setting the pad of paper on the bed.

“Pizza!” Ruby and Yang said in unison, high-fiving.

“Pizza it is,” Qrow said, grinning. “Come on, let’s go so we still have time to try on the rest of these.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comments?? concerns?? what do you think husband winning costume will be? 👀


	4. A Qrow as a Qrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What’s this??

After pizza, the five went straight back to the dorm room and trying on costumes.

“Here we go again,” Qrow muttered, closing the door behind him. “Who’s first?” he asked, louder this time.

“Me!” Yang flung open the closet doors, reaching in for something but then pausing. She glanced over at Ruby, gesturing for her to come over. They shared words and Ruby shook her head. Blake peeked in, her brows knitting.

“What’s going on?” Weiss asked, walking over. Yang whispered to her, and Weiss said something back.

“Uh, hello?” Qrow asked. “Still here? Anyone want to explain to me what’s happening?”

“Oh! Well, it seems someone is lying,” Weiss stated matter-of-factly.

“What?”

Weiss pulled out a black garment bag and a matching smaller bag. “This is in our costume closet, but no one remembers bringing it. I know I didn’t,” she remarked, sniffing. “All my costumes are in perfect white-”

“Okay, Weiss, we get it,” Yang interrupted. “The point is, none of us knows what’s inside that,” she said, gesturing to it, “so we’re going out on a limb and guessing it’s a dead body.”

“WHAT?!”

“No, it’s not.” Weiss sighed. “It’s probably a costume someone forgot to mention they brought. Go try it on.” She handed the two bags to Qrow and shoved him into the bathroom.

Tentatively, Qrow pulled the zipper down a hair. The only thing he could see was black fabric. “Screw it,” he said, taking a deep breath and yanking the zipper the entire way down.

Inside was not a dead body, but a striking costume. The top was an expensive-looking black poet shirt, silk by the look of it. The sleeves billowed down to the wrists, where they cinched in and frilled out around the hands. The bodice was strangely fitted, and when Qrow pulled out the second piece he understood.  
  
The corset vest fit perfectly over the tight ribbed section of the poet shirt, lacing through the front instead of the back. There were two buckles hanging off the straps that fastened over his shoulders, though Qrow didn’t see anything else that would attach. Smoke grey pants with vertical grey lines finished off the rest of the clothing aspect, though the entire costume was far from finished.

As Qrow unzipped the other black bag, he pulled out a pair of black steel-toed boots, very steampunk-esque. Then there was a...feathered _thing_. It covered almost his entire neck and shoulders, silky black Long-Tailed Paradise Whydah feathers framing his jawline and face. Qrow pulled out the final piece from the bag, marveling at it.

It was a cape--and not just any cape. The entire thing was made from feathers, and after some examination, Qrow decided they were Long-Tailed Widowbird feathers. (Qrow knows his birds, thank you very much.) Two straps hidden underneath the cape attached to the buckles on his corset vest, and even then it hung to the floor, brushing the ground behind him.

It took some . . . problem solving to figure out how to close the shoulder-feather-thing (hidden snaps) and how to attach the cape to the vest while he was wearing said shoulder-feather- thing (he had to take it off and attach the cape, then put everything back on) but by the time he was finished, Qrow decided it had been worth it. The costume looked like it was made for him, perfectly contouring to his lithe, skinny frame. Absently, he wondered how whoever sent the costume knew his exact measurements.

He met his eyes in the mirror, and wondered how it was possible for an outfit to change a person so completely. Mirror Qrow looked mysterious, secretive. His eyes held a certain light, as if he knew something you didn’t. And when Qrow smiled (or tried to smile), it made Mirror Qrow condescending and lofty.

“Uncle! Come out already!” Yang shrieked from the other room.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m coming,” Qrow yelled back. “Just a warning, though--it’s very . . .” he paused, “intense.” With that, he swept from the bathroom, his cape billowing around him and swirling around his feet.

Yang and Ruby’s jaws hit the floor. Blake’s eyes widened and she leaned forward, her eyes lighting up (the equivalent of someone else falling off a chair in surprise), and Weiss audibly gasped. Ruby was the first to break the stunned silence with a scream of excitement, and lunged at Qrow.

“Uncle Qrow! You look amazing!” she screeched.

“Yeah! That’s incredible!” Yang added.

Weiss ran her hands over the cape. “It’s gorgeous,” she said, awed.

“Definitely the winner,” Blake added, grinning.

“I second that,” Yang agreed, nodding in satisfaction.

“Shall we rank it?” Blake asked, still grinning with mirth.

“Ten!” Yang said.

“Eleven!” Ruby exclaimed.

“Ten for me as well,” Blake said, marking it down. “Weiss?”

“Hmm . . . nine.” Ruby and Yang gaped at her.

“What do you mean, ‘nine’?!” Yang all but screamed.

“There’s something missing . . .” Weiss mused, hand on her chin. She snapped her fingers. “I got it!” The huntress raced into the bathroom, sounds of shuffling and rummaging reaching the ears of everyone else. Eyes turned to Qrow, but he shrugged.

Seconds later, Weiss emerged carrying something in her hands. “Lean down,” she instructed, bossy as ever. Qrow did as she said, and Weiss slipped a black feather masquerade mask over his face. It covered the upper half of his face and tied behind his head with black silk ribbons.

“Now it’s a ten,” Weiss said, and although she tried to sound cool and aloof, Qrow could tell she was just as excited as everyone else.

“But seriously,” Qrow said, “who got this?”

“None of us,” Ruby said. “We have no idea.” She shrugged.

“Really?” Qrow asked skeptically. They all nodded.

“Literally none of us brought it,” Yang said, serious for once. “Oh--wait!” Qrow said, a thought crossing his mind. 

“What?” Weiss asked.

“What are you going to wear? You’re all going, right?” Qrow asked.

At this, the huntresses exchanged sly looks. “Just leave that to us,” Blake said, golden eyes sparking with mischief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, nothing too humiliating for qrow on the menu today...
> 
> (i just couldn’t hurt da birdie 🥺)


	5. Birds of a Feather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another unexpected surprise

“Uncle Qrow!” The voice came from outside his door.

Blearily, Qrow opened his eyes. He checked the time--7:31 AM. He groaned and shuffled further under the blankets. He was beginning to think he’d imagined the noise when another voice rang out from the hall.

“Uncle! If you don’t open this door right now, I’m going to blow it up!”

His brain only registered a few words: Uncle, open, door, blow it up. Then, his brain remembered whose voice it belonged to and Qrow shot up. “I’m coming, don’t destroy it! I mean it, Yang!” he called, fumbling around his quarters.

Panting, he opened the door. “What? What’s wrong?” He was faced with four grinning faces. “Time to get ready!” Ruby chirped.

Qrow groaned and leaned against the doorframe. “God, I thought--oh, never mind.” He blinked slowly and sighed, rubbing his eyes. “Alright, give me a second. I’ll be right out.”

“Sure,” Blake said quietly, assessing him with her eyes.

“Come on, let’s go get breakfast,” Weiss added, watching him with concern in her pale eyes. They walked off, down the hallway to the mess hall. Qrow yawned and closed the door, wandering to his bathroom and getting ready. Just as he was about to comb his hair, there was another knock at the door.

“Yea--oh, Clover!” he said, unable to keep the surprise from his voice. The leader of the Ace Ops handed him a coffee, grinning at him.

“What?” Qrow asked, taking a sip. Perfect, as usual.

“You look cute with your hair messed up,” Clover laughed, unable to keep a smile from his face.  
  
Qrow blushed, running his unoccupied hand through his feathery hair to try and style it. “Shut up,” he said, rolling his eyes. He stepped aside, allowing for Clover to come in and closed the door. Placing his coffee on a side table, he flopped onto the couch with a weary sigh.

“You okay?” Clover asked, casting worried glances over the bags under Qrow’s eyes.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, waving a hand airily. “Perfectly fine. Just a tad tired.”

Clover cocked his head. “Really?” He gently lifted Qrow’s ankles, sat down, and placed them on his bent knees.

“Yeah--tried on costumes all day,” he said. All of a sudden, he remembered their conversation from the day before. “Your fault,” he said, sitting upright and glaring at Clover.

“Oops, sorry Feathers,” he apologized, absently tapping a rhythm onto Qrow’s shins. “So what did you end up picking?”

“What?” Qrow asked, sitting up and batting away Clover’s hands.

“Your costume?” Clover asked wryly, half smiling at him.

“Oh, right! Ah . . . it’s a surprise,” Qrow invented quickly. Seeing Clover’s raised eyebrow, he added, “If you want to find out, you can always finish quickly and join us.”

“Alright, then,” Clover laughed, shaking his head. “What would you be if I was going with you?”

Qrow hummed, closing his eyes and resting on Clover’s shoulder. “Dunno. Maybe a couple’s thing, I guess? We could do two skeletons. Or two scarecrows. Or a cat and dog.”

“We could do seasons,” Clover suggested. “Winter and summer, or fall and spring--obviously, I’d be either summer or spring.”

“Wha--why couldn’t I be summer or spring?” Qrow protested indignantly, sitting up.

“I mean, I guess you could if you really wanted to,” Clover hurried to say, alarm in his eyes until Qrow cracked a smile. “You’re horrible.”

“Yeah, probably,” Qrow agreed. Honestly, Clover _would_ be summer: happy, friendly, everybody loves them, beach-and-ice cream days. Qrow would suit the cooler ones: the bite in the air, aura of chilly winds and frigid temperatures, quiet silence after snowfall. He made a mental note to bring this idea up to Clover the next time Halloween rolled around.

“Qrow,” Clover hummed, thumbing at the skin under his eyes. Qrow made a disgruntled noise and reluctantly opened his eyes, catching sight of another worried glance.

“I have to go--the General wants me early today.”

“Sure, go ahead,” Qrow hummed, pushing himself off Clover’s shoulder. His huntsman stood, gave him a quick peck on the forehead, and was gone. His scent, clean and fresh and just so rightfully Clover, lingered briefly before dispersing.

Another series of knocks reminded Qrow of his other guests, and he sprang from the couch to let them in.

“Ready?” he asked, noticing several bags the team carried.

“Absolutely!” Yang exclaimed. She walked in past him, sitting on the couch in the seat Clover had just vacated. Qrow noticed Weiss eyeing his coffee, a pensive look on her face.

“Uncle Qrow! It’s time for us to show you our costumes!” Ruby exclaimed, holding her bags aloft.

“I’m sure I’ll love them,” Qrow assured her, ruffling her hair.

“I’m first!” Yang cried, bolting up and racing for the door.

“No fair! You got a head start!” Ruby hollered after her.

“What is your costume, anyways?” Qrow asked.

Weiss’s head whipped around, and in the blink of an eye she had a hand over Ruby’s mouth. “We’re about to show you! Be patient,” she admonished.

“I wasn’t going to tell him!” Ruby said, pulling Weiss’s hand away.

Weiss rolled her eyes. “Forgive me if I don’t quite believe you,” she said dryly.

“Guys, Yang is just about ready to come out,” Blake said, gesturing towards the bathroom door.

“Ready?” Yang asked from the other side.

“Yeah!” Ruby yelled back.

With a flourish of color, Yang burst out of the bathroom. “Ta-dah! What do you think?”

Qrow immediately knew what she was. With a low-cut, golden-yellow feathered top and bright cerulean skirt, Yang was dressed as a Blue-and-Gold Macaw. The skirt split around mid-thigh, billowing onto the floor with layered shades of azul in waves of ocean. Feathered gauntlets around her forearms created the illusion of wings, one side the same blue as the skirt and the other a lemon yellow.

She wore a matching mask, tiny green feathers over her forehead transitioning into blue and yellow, the eye holes bordered by white. Long blue feathers stretched from her temples, breaking up the sea of yellow. With Yang’s fierce golden curls and violet eyes, Qrow agreed that it was a striking costume, perfect for the huntress.

“My turn!” Ruby dashed into the bathroom next, taking considerably less time than Yang (who was, curiously, not changing out of her costume) to reappear.

The younger huntress was decked out in red, the bright and eye-catching Scarlet Macaw. Her red feathered top closely resembled Yang’s, though there were straps over her shoulders. The skirt started with layers of red chiffon, transitioning into yellow and eventually royal blue. A row of chiffon ran down her back, electric blue cutting off onto red. Gauntlets around her arms also held feathers, though hers were deep ocean blue instead of lemon and cerulean.

Her mask was entirely scarlet red, though the area around her eye holes were lined in white. A burst of feathers in the colors of scarlet, golden yellow, and royal blue, all of differing lengths, attached to her left temple. Her silver eyes were alight with excitement.

“Me now,” Weiss declared, striding into the bathroom. Qrow guessed she took much longer than Yang and Ruby, and when she emerged he knew why.

Her dress was silk, the bodice a pure white halter top, laced in the back. The front of her skirt cut at an angle, splitting at the knee and the remaining fabric sweeping onto the floor elegantly. White peacock feathers, attached from the back of her dress and hidden by silk, lay on top of the base skirt, stretching out behind her. Thin streams of silk fastened to her wrists, the ties disguised as silver jewelry, also attached at the back of her dress.

While her hairstyle hadn’t changed, the ornamental spiky crown had. Now, it was topped with tiny peacock head feathers, the tops fanning out. The mask was, of course, white, but it wasn’t feathered, like Yang’s or Ruby’s. Hers was delicate lace, bringing out the pale ice blue of her eyes. She looked ethereal, just as the Albino Peacock should be.

“I guess it’s my turn, then?” Blake calmly rose and went into the bathroom, changing into her costume.

When she emerged, at first Qrow couldn’t figure out what she was. Her dress was a long diamond-sleeved, dark charcoal turtleneck that fluffed out around her knees, probably with the help of some tulle. On top she wore an open sweeping coat, layered with teeny feathers meticulously placed and arranged and belted with a wide obi. The kimono-style sleeves split down the middle, leaving four long strips of fabric. Coattails hung down to her knees, slightly longer than the top of her combat boots. Her hood was up, and Qrow recognized the ear tufts from a Great Horned Owl.

Her mask was a light sepia, lined with dark grey and peaked downwards over her nose. Longer feathers spread out around the sides exaggerated the size of the mask, several trailing down her cheekbones and making her eyes look bigger. The contrast between her golden eyes and the dark tones was almost perfect.

“What do you think, Uncle?” Yang asked, something in her voice that Qrow couldn’t quite place.

Qrow gazed out upon the huntresses, each fully dressed in elaborate costumes. Red, white, black, yellow. “You all look incredible,” he answered honestly.

“Notice anything in particular about the costumes?” Weiss asked, her head tilted.

“Um . . .” Each outfit differed in their own ways, whether it be the color or the fabric or the style. “No . . ?”

“We’re all different types of birds,” Blake explained.

“That’s interesting . . ?” Qrow prodded, knowing there was something else, a deeper meaning.

Ruby stepped forward. “We represent all different kinds of birds. And your costume does too, Uncle Qrow.”

“There’s a saying. Birds of a feather flock together,” Yang added.

“We’re all family,” Ruby said earnestly.

“No matter what, we’re family now. And family sticks together.”

For a few moments, Qrow was stunned. If he hadn’t lost the ability to physically cry years ago, he probably would have started sobbing like a child. “Thank you,” he said eventually, voice raspy. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”

Ruby launched herself at him, wrapping him into a hug. Yang followed soon after, and she dragged Weiss and Blake with her.

“How did you even manage to buy seventy plus four extravagant costumes?” Qrow asked. At this, the girls gave one another more mischievous looks.

“Oh, that’s a secret,” Weiss told him. “But we did have a sponsor, if you must know.”

“A sponsor? Who?” Qrow asked suspiciously. “You’re not talking to a drug dealer or something, are you?”

“No no, of course not!” Weiss said, horrified. “We would never turn to drug dealers!”

“Then who is it?” Qrow asked, now curious.

“That’s another secret!” Ruby piped up.

“Great,” Qrow groaned. “More problems I have to solve!”

“We can give you a hint, though!” Yang exclaimed. “It’s someone we all know.” She winked.

“Yang!” The three others gasped.

“He’s going to figure it out!” Ruby moaned, flopping onto the floor. Already, Qrow’s gears were turning. Who did he know that was 1) nice enough to the girls and would let them use their credit card and 2) rich?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehe, more hints 😏


End file.
